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I against the internal surface of the upper half,

- marked thereon, specification.

UNITE STATES" PATENT I OFFiCE.

GEOR E E. PALMER, or DUNDEE, NEW YORK.

STOVE-PIPE TH,| MB LE.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent'No. 233,113, dated October 12, 1880. Application filed December 9,1879.

To all whom it may concern i Be it known that I, GEORGE E. PALMER, of Dundee, in the county of Yates and'State of New York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Adjustable Stove-Pipe Thimbles, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanyin g drawings, and to letters of reference which form a part of this Figure l is a vertical section of my improved stove-pipe thimble. Fig. 2 is a horizontal or cross section of same. Fig. 3 is a vicw'showing a modification of the above.

The greater number of thimbles for stovepipes as heretofore and at present constructed and in use have been and are defective, from the fact that the various walls and ceilings of buildings through which said thimbles pass.

vary in thickness, and consequently a space of greater or less extent will be and is left unprotected from fire, by which many and serious conflagrations have resulted.

The object of my invention has been, therefore, to provide a thimble whereby such unprotected' spaces are avoided, inasmuch as my improved thimble is capable of extension and retraction to suit the various thicknesses of saidwalls and ceilings.

Referring to the drawings, A represents my improved thimble, composed of two parts, the lower half of which, A, is made to fit closely B. The body or side of A is made of sheetiron or other suitable metallic substance, and

is secured by rivets to projecting flanges D upon the upper and lower heads or rings, 0, respectively. The heads 0 have their outer edges beveled inward, as shown at c, Fig. 1, thus forming, when the heads are in position upon the floor or ceiling, an annular air-space about the thimble and between the sides of said thimble and edge of the head or point of contact with the floor or ceiling.

The internal edge, G, of the head or ring extends inward from the sides, forming an airchamber about the pipe when in position, to which chamber air is freely admitted through suitable ports b in the heads.

The parts A andB are held firmly together and in place by springs E, attached bya staple, e, to an enlargement or block, d, upon the lower head and'a chain, F, said chain being attached to an eye in the upper end of the spring E, and secured, when the parts are together, to a hook, e, projecting downward from a block, (1, upon the upper head. The springs are preferably three in number, but may be four or more, if desired.

When it is desired to secure the thimble in a wall or ceiling the chain is loosed from the hook e, the parts A and B are drawn asunder and inserted in the opening in wall or ceiling, any desired compression against said walls or ceiling being attained by the spring E and chain F, the latter being again secured to the hook 0.

It will be observed that no point between floor and ceiling will be, in the above-described thimble, left unprotected, its construction being such that the same thimble may be used in any wall or ceiling, within certain limits, without the sides of said thimble uncovering each other.

As a modification of the above, the thimble A may have an internal lining attached by rivets to a second projecting flange, D, Fig. 3, the said internal lining being the same in form and operation as the outer sides. By the lastnamed construction a second air-chamber will be formed about the pipe, understood.

I am aware that stove-pipe thimbles have beenheretofore constructed in two parts, said parts being held together by spiral springs,

which springs were rigidly connected at each end to the flanges of each part of said thimble respectively, and I do not claim the same.

Such rigid or fixedconnection of the spring inasmuch as the constant tension of the springs, in connecas will be readily tion with the heat from the pipes, operates to lessen the force with which the parts of the thimble are held together, thereby in many cases, especially where the thimbleisin the ceilings of rooms, allowing the flanges of said thimbles to become separated from the walls or ceilings.

Another objection to the use of such fixed springs is the fact that whenever such weakening or loss of tension occurs the parts have to be entirely removed from the walls or ceilings in order that the springs maybe readjusted, which removal and readjustment necessitate considerable trouble, loss of time, and the services of an experienced mechanic.

In my improved stove-pipe thimble such removal of the parts is not necessary, and the proper tension of the spring can always be retained, inasmuch as by the use of the combined spring and chain the loss of the tension of the spring may be readily taken up by the chain without the aid of a mechanic, while the thimble remains in the wall or ceiling, as will be clearly seen by the accompanying drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a stove-pipe thimble, the combination of the sides A B, heads 0, having air-ports b, flanges D, blocks 01 at, having eye e and hook c, in combination with springs E, having chain F connected therewith, said chain being formed of suitable links to receive the hook e, and thereby facilitate the adjustment of the parts, as shown and described.

2. In a stove-pipe thimble, the heads 0, having an inwardly-projecting flange, G, whereby an annular air-space is provided about the heads of the thimble when in position, in combination with springs E and chain F, eye e, and hook c, said chain being formed of suitable links to receive the book 0', and thereby facilitate the adjustment of the parts, as and for the purpose set forth.

in testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

GEO. E. PALMER.

\Vitnesses:

J. M. LETTS, LUTHER. Bowna. 

